Bringing law enforcement officers (LEO) closer to other agents of prevention: A UNODC Guiding Document

Drug use is a key risk factor affecting the healthy and safe development of children and youth in schools. Worldwide, law enforcement officers (LEO) are frequently involved in in school-based drug prevention responses. However, such responses consist of improvised tools not aligned with the science. To that effect, the UNODC developed a guiding document on the role of LEO in drug use prevention within school settings. The document is a significant step towards enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement-led drug prevention responses, especially within school settings. It aims to change the culture of prevention in the context of law enforcement, by bringing them closer to science and other agents of prevention.

In 2022, the UNODC piloted the guiding document in Panama, training 35 LEO who are actively engaged in school-based drug prevention activities. The aim of the training was providing LEO with the necessary knowledge on the science to effectively implement further prevention responses in line with the guiding document and UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention. Furthermore, this pilot sought to evaluate the applicability of the document with LEO and resulted in ensuring the relevance and practicality of such guidance.

Building on the success of the pilot training in Panama, the UNODC further trained 50 LEO from the gulf region. The regional workshop took place in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates and the UNODC Office for the GCC region (OGCCR). This regional training program represents a significant step towards making the guiding document accessible to a broader audience representing a diverse geographical distribution.  Furthermore, it allows for generating a wider base of evidence on the effectiveness and impact of such guidance on the role of LEO in drug use prevention in schools.

Through pre- and post-training assessments, feedback mechanisms, and ongoing data collection, analysis, and interpretation, the UNODC aims to further evaluate the impact of the guiding document in changing behaviour, attitudes, and practices of LEO towards prevention and its science. The guiding document is designed to equip LEO with a comprehensive understanding of their crucial role in preventing drug use within school settings, in line with the science of prevention. It outlines the key elements needed for effective law enforcement-led prevention responses, enhances the existing knowledge and skills of those already engaged in prevention responses in schools, and improves the impact of their work, aligning it with science.